Archery targets are to stop arrows and hold arrows in the same attitude in which they strike the target. To be practical, targets which stop and hold arrows must be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and must have a relatively long, useful life. Archery targets are to stop arrows so that an archer can determine the point of impact, to make arrow retrieval relatively easy and quick, and to prevent arrows from striking objects that arrows could injure or damage. An arrow which strikes a target should be reusable and free of damage, and should be held in the same attitude in which it struck the target. Arrows are expensive and must be protected by a target. Arrows which are held in the same attitude in which they strike a target are generally not damaged by other arrows. Arrows which are held at the tip only and fall to a position with the shaft lying along the face of a target are frequently damaged or destroyed by other arrows.
Archery bows are available today which are capable of transferring high energy to arrows. There are also arrows with shafts made from composite materials that increase penetration capability. Targets should be able to stop and hold arrows with composite material shafts that strike targets with high energy that has been supplied by a special bow.
Archery targets are available that are made from a foam material. Foam material is damaged significantly each time it is penetrated by an arrow. Such targets develop holes after being struck a few times in one area that will allow the passage of an arrow. An arrow which passes through such a hole may be deflected in a different direction resulting in lost arrows, damage to arrows or property, or even injury. Foam material targets have limited energy absorption capability. Arrows with high impact energy or with high penetration capability may pass through a foam material target. High energy and composite material arrows may be stoppable only by increasing target thickness. Although archery targets made from foam material are inexpensive to make, they may be relatively expensive to use due to their relatively short life and the need for increased thickness to stop some arrows.
Archery targets are available with internal barriers that are designed to prevent penetration. The material that prevents penetration is normally in a plane through the center of the target. The face of the target is covered with a material such as straw that is to hold arrows in the attitude they were in when they struck the target face. The internal barrier may be a sheet material made from a special high strength material and employed in combination with a material such as cotton which tends to stick to and ball up on the tip of an arrow. These targets are difficult to manufacture and are difficult to hold together due to the various layers of material. The material on the face Of the target frequently fails to hold arrows up in the position in which they struck the target. The internal barrier material may also fail to stop some arrows. Arrows with tips with special shapes or that are made from materials with special properties may pass through the barrier material.
Archery targets made from straw that is first rolled into a long strand or rope and is then coiled to form a target can have long life, good holding ability, and fair stopping characteristics. The time and effort required to construct such a target is substantial. Due to the time required to construct a good target in this manner, such targets are relatively expensive. Another drawback is that it is difficult to change the arrow stopping characteristics for use with arrows made from materials that provide improved penetration characteristics or arrows that are propelled by high energy bows.